Valley Walk from Punakha to Wangdi Phodrang, Bhutan

Typically tourists don’t walk from Punakha to Wangdi Phodrang, two river side valley towns that are known for its history, red rice and hydroelectric projects in Western Bhutan, about a couple of years from Thimphu. It is about 30 kms by road and a share taxi only costs INR/BTN 100 for this 30 minute journey, but I was piqued by a statement that some locals made, which is most of the school kids walk from Punakha to Wangdi during school holidays and festivals.


This caught my interest and after digging a bit deep into this, I found out that there is a much shorter abandoned road and also a walking trail by the side of the river that leads from Punakha to Wangdi Phodrang.


This route takes you from Punakha Dzong to the second longest suspension bridge in Bhutan and then to the Punakha countryside that is covered with golden yellow rice fields. On the other side of the trail is the azure waters of the Mochu and Pochu rivers that join at the Punakha Dzong.


The waters of this river is so clean that you can see a lot of migratory birds on this trail and those include the Ruddy Shelducks, Cormorants, Stilts and more. Also, on the terrestrial side, there are many interesting and colourful Himalayan birds. If you are a birder, then this trail should be on your must do list in Bhutan.


Even if you are not a birder, the landscape is full of mountains, a fast flowing river and lots of golden yellow fields with traditional Bhutanese houses in the middle. This makes for some great sights and thus presents great photography opportunities.

In terms of distance, I think the trail is about 12 kms with a little bit of ups and downs, but mostly flat. If you take it easy, stop for a lot of photos and breaks, then you should be able to walk between these two rich valleys within 3 hours and if you are in a hurry, you can do it in 90 minutes. If time is not of essence and you wish to experience the Bhutanese countryside with its greenery, birds and colourful people, then this hike is very much recommended.

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SNS Lodge: Comfortable Budget Hotel at Wangdi Bajo, Bhutan

Wangdi Phodrang, a town in Western Bhutan is known for its hydroelectric projects and red rice. It is also an ideal place to stopover on a journey from Thimphu to Trongsa while you explore Punakha enroute. I landed in this town after a trek along the river from Punakha to Wangdi. The town where all the tourist infrastructure is available is called Wangdi Bajo and that is where I stayed. I stayed just one night and one day at the SNS Lodge here and the below review is based on this recent experience of mine.

1) The SNS Lodge is possibly one of the better hotels in this small town.

2) It offers all the amenities typically offered by a decent business class hotel, like clean room, hot water, room heater, tea/coffee maker, television, etc. And all this for INR/BTN 1200 per night for Indians.

3) They even provide free wi-fi.

4) The hotel is located right in the heart of this small town and hence all necessary amenities (taxi stand, restaurants, shops, etc.) are all located close by.

5) The hotel has an in-house restaurant that dishes out good food.

6) The reception and the rest of the hotel staff are very professional and helpful.

This is a great budget place to stay at Wangdi Bajo. Definitely worth the money and perfect for a comfortable stopover.

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